Two Valentines
by The Schizophrenic Gatekeeper
Summary: Two snippets from two seperate Valentine's Days. Carson Beckett/Daniel Jackson.
1. sometimes you just can't read the signs

Beta'd by the ever lovely SiriusLivesOn.

--

Carson frowned at the road sign in front of him before glancing back down at the map open across his knees, silently thankful that there was no one behind them on the small country road. If he was reading the map right, then he needed to turn left, but then his map reading skills had never been especially great, which was why he tended to prefer to use road signs. The problem was, in this particular part of Wales, they were all written in Welsh, a language he had never even considered trying to learn and his translator was presently snoring quietly, forehead pressed against the passenger window. How exactly anyone could be comfortable enough to sleep in that position, Carson wasn't quite sure, but Daniel was so he guessed it must be possible. That or it could just be that Daniel's poor sleeping habits had finally caught up with him as they were wont to do.

Carson sighed, turning the map slightly in the hope that would somehow give him a little more confidence in his direction. Muttering a soft curse under his breath Carson gave the sign a final glare before giving in and putting the car back into gear and turning left, for better or worse.

Two hours later, he decided it had definitely been for the worse.

Carson pulled over into the lay-by carefully, turning on the hazards before switching off the engine with a sigh. Closing his eyes Carson gave himself a moment to calm down, all too aware of his rising panic.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Carson jumped opening his eyes and turning to face Daniel, who had clearly only just woken up, "Nothing love, go back to sleep."

Daniel frowned, glancing out of the window, before turning back to Carson, eyebrow raised, "Nothing huh?"

Carson blushed faintly, silently cursing Daniel for failing to be as oblivious as he could often be, "We may be a wee bit lost."

Daniel's eyebrows climbed impossibly higher, "A little lost?"

"Aye." Carson replied half heartedly, mentally abandoning the plans he'd had for the night, which were, now that he had the chance to but them into perspective, maybe a little ambitious. His sleeping lover should have told him that much anyway.

"We left the dig site," Daniel glanced at the clock, eyes widening as he realised just what time it was, "over two and a half hours ago."

Carson nodded, abandoning any verbal communication. They'd been together for over two years, he knew all too well just what was coming.

"The dig site, which in theory, was only an hour's drive, at most, in any direction, from a town." Daniel squinted out the window at the darkening sky, searching the horizon for any sign of life besides sheep. "In theory." Daniel looked at Carson for a long moment before he started laughing.

"Aye, that's right, you laugh." Carson slumped in the drivers seat, arms crossed over his chest.

"Sorry love." Daniel apologised after a moment, reaching out to squeeze Carson's arm. "You could have woken me up you know."

Carson kept his eyes forward, refusing to fold to Daniel's common sense. He shouldn't need anyone to translate signs for him, especially not when he had a map and the directions that one of the local girls working on the dig had given him.

"Even some of the locals can't read the signs." Daniel commented idly, watching Carson carefully, "It's not the end of the world. We can't be too far out and it's still early yet, enough time to get back and still have some food before we go to bed."

Daniel proved, for the ninth time that week, that he had absolutely no concept of the date, or its importance, something that to Carson at least, seemed stupid, considering the man prided himself on his knowledge of cultures.

"Carson?" Daniel pushed after another minute of silence passed, sympathetic, "It's ok, really."

Carson frowned suspicious, finally letting himself look at Daniel. His shoulders slumped as realisation dawned, "You knew."

"Not exactly, but I had an inkling." Daniel allowed his expression sincere.

Carson's eyes narrowed, disbelieving.

Daniel smiled, "I am as aware as you are of what day it is, but you've been a little distant, so I thought you must have been planning something, so I didn't say anything."

Carson sighed, "Aye well, it doesn't matter now."

"Here." Daniel pulled his backpack into his lap and opened it to pull out a small plainly wrapped package. "You can still have this."

Carson hesitated for a moment before he took the offered package, taking a moment to examine it before carefully opening the flaps that had been cellotaped down and reaching in to get a grip on the object within. He drew it out carefully, already knowing that it was a book, rather than a box of chocolates or anything as traditional as that and smiled as he read the title. "Knots and Crosses, a crime story?"

Daniel grinned nodding, "Amazingly romantic isn't it?"

Carson laughed, "Aye, much more romantic than a dinner for two in a fancy Welsh restaurant."

--


	2. doesn't have to be warm

Note: This chapter takes place during 'Rising'

--

"It"s near the end of the summer you know."

Carson blinked startled by Rodney"s announcement, "What?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, giving Carson an exasperated look over the top of his small mountain of food, "It"s almost the end of summer."

Carson frowned, "No it isn"t."

Rodney snorted, "We"re in the southern hemisphere remembering? Antarctica? Here it is."

"How could I bloody forget?" Of all the people that Carson had expected to make friends with, Rodney McKay was not one of them, but somehow, over the course of the last few weeks, it had happened. Carson suspected it had more to do with the fact that he had ▒discovered" the ancient gene though, rather than any shared interest or familiarity. Rodney seemed to have a tendency to attach himself to whoever seemed to be doing something that might help him or who was doing similar research.

Rodney just grinned smugly, taking Carson"s reply as a sign of victory, Rodney McKay had proved, yet again, that he was smarter than Carson. Carson sighed softly, shaking his head faintly as he watched the other man eat, knowing the man went a long way towards explaining his medical record.

"Ah, Doctor Beckett, there you are, I was wondering if you could help me with something?" Daniel appeared from some hidden corner of the complex, ignoring Rodney and his quickly diminishing pile of food as he meet Carson gaze, an eyebrow raised.

Carson hesitated for a moment glancing at Rodney before nodding his assent, promising to see Rodney later before standing and following Daniel from the room, doing his best to ignore the nervous feeling building in his stomach. It wasn"t like there was much they could do, there were cameras pretty much everywhere.

"It"s just here." Daniel supplied just as Carson was starting to wonder just where Daniel was taking him. Daniel motioned towards a door on the left hand side of the corridor, stepping aside to let Carson step through the door first.

Carson stopped in the doorway for a moment, glancing back at Daniel suspiciously, not surprised to see Daniel"s patented innocent expression. Stepping inside he frowned, glancing around at the various shelves, confused until he caught sight of a faint light out of the corner of his eye. He made his way carefully around a few freestanding units, slowing as he caught sight of the source of the light.

"Surprised?" Daniel stepped up behind Carson, having closed the door behind them, placing a gentle hand on the small of Carson"s back to lead him forward, towards the small table that had been set up in the only free corner of the room.

"Oh aye." Carson took in the small spread on the table in front of him, trying to figure out how exactly Daniel had managed to get it all to Antarctica in the first place.

"An advantage of being on good terms with a General." Daniel provided without having to be prompted, more than a little smug.

"General O"Neill didn"t ask what you wanted any of this for?" Carson questioned doubtfully.

"He supplied the alcohol by choice, he thought I"d need it having to deal with McKay, he gave some to Elizabeth as well."

"Brandy and red wine??"

"Plus a whole crate of beer." Daniel supplied, "The rest, I asked him to bring."

Carson smiled as he lifted the lids of the containers spread across the table, noting each of his favourite foods, "You put a lot of thought into this."

Daniel shrugged, smiling fondly, "It was worth it."

Carson turned away from the table to face Daniel, "It was?"

"Seeing that look on your face." Daniel answered, stepping close and claiming Carson"s lips, drawing out the kiss until they both had to breathe. "Definitely worth it."

--


End file.
